I heard the news when someone made a point of your flirtations,

How you appeared, how the summer night came down,

Too palpable not to have been staged or interfered with.

I was writing at the time about how crowds converge in busses,

Homeboys at the curb, how blossoms jam the branch,

How three laughing men prod the dusty herd along,

Long steps ahead of the thin shadow line.

So what is it about this afternoon, this quiet violence

That rings through us now

Like a tree’s age rings,

Or the eyes’ rings of ingrained asseveration,

Like the gong’s rings of waking vibration

That drift out like bees

For the ready honey?

For all I know it wasn’t about me.

Who’d look to me, stuttering, eyes squeezed tight,

For emotional outlets on such a scale?

I’m prose, my goddess.

It was because I happened to be by and saw it all,

Me, little djinn, salaaming fragile pot.

It was you standing barefoot on the porch,

Leaning against the rail,

When the breeze ruffled out your dress,

And sunlight glared from your hair and eyes

As from the cars parked in the lot,

And every man who passed you by was stunned

By momentary fire.

Everywhere the same mistake I see.

Goddess, you give up too much

To spread stories about admirable women.

We go to them like wasps you guide to the peach,

We all want its sweet exhalation, the dewdrop, the gold,

But soon we surprise the pit,

Even more, perhaps, surprised by it.

Like that we cruise into a goddess’ life

By accident, amazed.

Once, though, admit it, I was coils around you.

Didn’t I change your ways?

On Tuesday May, the avenues were strafed by light

And passersby, awestruck, said — no, they

Commended me – “she never was so beautiful,

She never was so incorrect, or wore her dress

So tight. Blasé Isis never was so bright.”

And when I pressed my lips to yours,

What a fine indentation did remain on that

Glistering Sybilline mouth of yours, the atoms of my lips

On the atoms of your rose.

Abruptly the leaf burns up and flies.

Let it fly, let it. But I can talk.

There – I’ve said it.